The collies have spoken...

Collies are a vocal breed, and as such, they love to share their opinions.  This makes them perfect for writing reviews!  Our friends at Chewy.com sent us a package of Stella & Chewy's Dandy Lamb Meal Mixers, and as always, the collies were excited to try something new!

With all the new articles raising concern about health problems being caused by dog foods, it's hard to know what food  is safe.  But Stella & Chewy's has a good reputation, and we have tried some of their other products in the past, so we felt confident that this was a quality dog food.

But let's look at the ingredient list:

Lamb, Lamb Spleen, Lamb Liver, Lamb Heart, Lamb Kidney, Lamb Bone, Pumpkin Seed, Organic Cranberries, Organic Spinach, Organic Broccoli, Organic Beets, Organic Carrots, Organic Squash, Organic Blueberries, Fenugreek Seed, Potassium Chloride, Dried Kelp, Sodium Phosphate, Tocopherols (Preservative), Choline Chloride, Dried Pediococcus Acidilactici Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Longum Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Taurine, Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Niacin Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid.

I was impressed with all that real meat, and no "lamb meal" like we see in so many other dog foods.  And I loved all the organic fruits and veggies!  Check out the key benefits:

• Made with grass-fed lamb raised without hormones or antibiotics and 100% organic-certified fruits and vegetables.
• Real raw nutrition in the convenience of freeze-dried nuggets; can be served as a complete meal or mixed with dry kibble to add variety with a nutritious boost and help entice a picky eater.
• Formulated to mimic a canine’s natural diet; never contains grains, gluten, fillers, artificial preservatives or colorings.
• Complete and balanced nutrition is enhanced with probiotics to aid in healthy digestion—perfect for the pup with a sensitive stomach.
• Proudly made in the USA with ingredients responsibly sourced from trusted and reputable suppliers.

The lamb is grass-fed, and free of both hormones and antibiotics.  And it's made in the USA, and all the ingredients are responsibly sourced.  This is definitely something we love to see when choosing a dog food or treat.

The collies really love the taste of Stella & Chewy's Dandy Lamb Meal Mixers, and I really love the ingredients.  So this is one product we highly recommend.  Now with all those quality ingredients, it can be a bit pricey for those of us with multiple dogs, which is why this food is perfect for "mixing" in to your regular kibble, to boost your dogs' nutrition!  We also use the small pieces as training treats, as the collies will do whatever we ask for these freeze-dried raw food nuggets!  But don't just take our word, the collies want you to give them a try for yourselves!  

Disclaimer:  We were sent this product for free, from our friends at Chewy.com, in exchange our our honest review.

Wordless Wednesday - the smile says it all!

It was a beautiful Summer day, so we decided to head over to our local Nursing Home for a Therapy Dog visit.  The residents were so happy to see Ryder, they all had big smiles on their faces.  Ryder was sporting a pretty big smile himself!

Blue review

Does your dog love bacon?  The collies sure do!  And this month our friends at Chewy.com sent us a package of Blue Buffalo Sizzlers to review.   

These treats have a smoked scent that drives the collies crazy!  And they really seemed to enjoy them.  We took them with us to a dog show, and used them in the show ring.

Maizie thought they were really good, and she was showing her best in the ring, to earn some more of these treats!

We also took them with us to the Nursing Home, as a reward for all of Ryder's hard work as a Therapy Dog!

Check out the Key Benefits:

• Natural, bacon-style dog treats made with real pork as the first ingredient with added vitamins and minerals
• Sizzlers bring the taste of home-cooked bacon that your dog will love as an alternative to the real thing, they won't even know the difference
• Wholesome oatmeal & skim milk
• No chicken/poultry by-product meals, just real ingredients. No corn, wheat or soy for dogs with food allergies
• No artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, just natural treats for dogs of all sizes and ages

Ingredients:
Deboned Pork, Pearled Barley, Rye, Pea Protein, Potato Protein, Tapioca Starch, Vegetable Glycerin, Cane Molasses, Brown Rice, Brown Sugar, Oatmeal, Gelatin, Canola Oil (Source of Omega 6 Fatty Acids), Dried Cultured Skim Milk, Cheese Powder, Bacon Fat, Natural Flavor, Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Paprika, Potassium Chloride, Carrot, Preserved with Citric Acid, Mixed Tocopherols & Oil of Rosemary.

The collies really loved these treats, and I loved that they were the perfect size for in the show ring or to take along on our Therapy Dog visits.  They weren't greasy either, which makes it safe to throw a couple in my pocket when we are out on hike.  We recommend these treats for active pups on the go, or just as a reward for all the love our best friends give us every day.  You can order some for your friends by clicking here!

Chewy.com sent us this product in exchange for our review, we were not reimbursed for our honest opinion.

Got Roo?

The collies do!  This month our awesome friends at Chewy.com sent us Zignature Canned Kangaroo.  As I am always cautious with what treats and food I give my collies, I was so excited to get the chance to review this canned dog food.  Zignature Kangaroo formula is a limited ingredient canned dog food, so there are no ingredients that would cause me to worry about what the collies are ingesting.

But don't take my word for it, check out the ingredient list for yourselves:

Kangaroo, Broth, Peas, Sunflower Oil, Carrots, Chickpeas, Agar-Agar, Sun-Cured Alfalfa Meal, Choline Chloride, Salt, Tricalcium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride, Cranberries, Blueberries, Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid).

While our collies do not suffer from serious food allergies, I have read that Kangaroo meat is an excellent alternative for dogs that suffer from food allergies.  (Of course, if your dog does have food allergies, I would check with your veterinarian before switching to a new food.)

I am impressed with Zignature, as they strive to produce a brand of dog food that is free of allergens.  Check out the Key Benefits:

• This grain-free, limited ingredient formula is made with one protein source and only a handful of other ingredients, creating a clean recipe with ingredients you can count on.
• Made with quality Kangaroo meat from Australia, an exceptional source of complete protein, with virtually no saturated fat.
• Kangaroo contains nearly twice the Vitamin B12 as other meats and is rich in Iron, essential Omega-3 Fatty Acids, other B Vitamins, and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA).
• Free of the most common potential canine allergens: corn, wheat, soy, dairy, and chicken, making this recipe ideal for pups with sensitivities and picky eaters.
• Wholesome fruits and vegetables round out the recipe with powerful antioxidants, and fiber-rich, low-glycemic carbohydrates.

And the collies love, love, love the taste of the canned Zignature Kangaroo!  They sit there watching me prepare their dinners with puddles of drool surrounding them!  And if you aren't sure that roo is for you, Chewy.com carries many other varieties of Zignature as well.  Just click here: Chewy.com - Zignature We highly recommend giving this dog food a try.  And then come on back and let us know what you and your dogs thought of it!


Disclaimer:  Chewy.com sent us this product for free, in exchange for our honest opinion.  We were not reimbursed for this review.

Winter makes us appreciate Spring all the more...

As you get older the days seem to pass so quickly.  So I am not sure if this Spring is flying by because I am so busy, or if it's because the cold Winter weather just wouldn't dissipate this year, causing a delay to the season.  We had a couple weeks of warm, mild Spring weather and now it's already turning hot outside.  Whatever the cause, we are trying to get outside whenever possible, to enjoy the sunshine.  Once the hot and humid weather rolls in, the collies enjoy taking long walks less and less.

Since I had a few days off from work, we have been visiting local parks, and stopping to smell the (wild) roses.  This particular park has always been a favorite, as it's nearby and covered in beach roses.  They are very fragrant, and have been growing wild here for as long as I can remember.

I hope to visit one more local park tomorrow, so I will hopefully have some more pretty pictures.  I know I haven't been taking too many pictures lately, and I haven't been updating the collie blog as frequently as I would like.  But since I have limited free time, when it comes down to choosing to sit in front of a computer, going for a hike with the collies or reading a book, computer time has been coming in last.

But seriously, who could say "no" to these faces?  So more hikes, and more pictures will be coming.  (provided I sit down and upload them!)

Wordless Wednesday - in the Springtime

It's impossible to stay inside!

We love WERUVA! And we REALLY love Chewy.com!

This month our friends at Chewy.com also sent the kitties something to review!  Since they love to voice their opinions, we let them have some kitty time on the collie blog to do a review from time to time.  So what did Chewy.com send the kitties?  They sent them a package of Weruva Cats in the Kitchen Grain-free cat food pouches.  And we were so excited to receive this, as there are 6 different flavors in the variety pack! 

We loved seeing all the varieties to choose from, as one of our kitties may be just a bit more finicky than the others! But even she could find nothing to complain about with all the choices!

Ok, before we give our opinions, take a look at these Key Benefits:

• Convenient, easy-to-open pouches feature gourmet recipes that are high in protein and low in carbs.
• Contains taurine which helps guards the heart and added vitamins and minerals for a complete and balanced diet.
• Recipe contains no grains, gluten, GMO ingredients, MSG or carrageenan, so it’s great for cat with allergies.
• Variety of delicious flavors help to entice picky eaters with real, deboned meat in a luscious gravy.
• Helps cats stay properly hydrated, and can be served as a standalone diet or as a topper for dry food.

And here are the ingredients for one of the varieties:
Chick Magnet: Water Sufficient For Processing, Chicken, Mackerel, Tapioca Starch, Sunflower Seed Oil, Tricalcium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Nicotinic Acid (Vitamin B3), Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Manganese Sulfate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Copper Sulfate, Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement

We didn't include them all, because there are so many to choose from!  But you can find them here:
Weruva-cats-in-kitchen-variety-pack

I LOVE that there is no GMO ingredients, MSG or Carrageenan.  Some cats (and dogs) have sensitive stomachs and the Tapioca Starch may cause upset an upset tummy, but out kitties had no trouble.  In fact they loved these pouches, we added them to their dry kibble, which provided extra moisture.  One of our cats has to stay on a special diet, but with a dry kibble we always worry that he is getting enough water.  Adding the Weruva pouches to their food adds needed moisture to help keep them hydrated!  If you prefer to avoid dry kibbles, these pouches can be fed as a stand alone meal, which means they contain all the nutrition your cat needs!

The kitties love the smell and taste of these pouches, and recommend you get some for your cats to try too!

We were sent this Variety pack for free, in exchange for our honest opinion.  Chewy.com did not reimburse us for this review.

This and that, here and there...

Life sure has a way of keeping us busy!  We drove down to Virginia Beach for the collie National, which was so much fun.  What could be better than being surrounded by hundreds of collies in Virginia Beach?

Maizie, checking out our neighbors

Relaxing, waiting for her ring time

Scarlett, ready to go into the ring!

But it seemed like I was barely back, and then I was off to Florida for a work conference held at Disney World.  It was a hectic week, but I was able to go to the parks at night.  Things are now slowly getting back to normal, and last weekend we were at a collie specialty show, surrounded by collies once again.  And the exciting news, Maizie won Winner's bitch at one of the shows, which gave her one of her majors towards her championship.  (They need 15 points to become a champion, but out of the 15 points they need two majors.  A major is earned when they win 3, 4 or 5 points at one time.)

Handsome Tate!

This past weekend Ryder and I met up with a friend and her therapy collie, Jodie, and did a Therapy Dog visit at a local Nursing Home.  It was fun having another collie with us, Ryder really seemed to enjoy it.

And on Sunday we visited with friends who have one of our collies from a past litter.  The collie, Finn, is the litter mate of our Maizie and Sophie, and their birthday is today, so we all celebrated together.

I addition to all of this, (as if this wasn't keeping us busy enough), Spring has arrived so we have been taking lots of walks!

So we are going to try to be better about updating, but it's hard to stay inside by a computer when the weather is so nice! (finally!)